• Knowledgebase: Questions about Drugs and Tobacco

    Questions about drug use, for adolescents and their parents.

    2. Children and smoking - Top

    With the FDA changing the rules in recent years on the sales and advertising of tobacco in order to reduce or eliminate its use by children and teenagers, I feel I should devote this month's column to the health reasons that this is a problem. Of course any attack on the tobacco industry is considered a problem in North-Carolina; however, as a Pediatrician, my job is the health and well-being of children and I must put this first.

    Smoking and other uses of tobacco is a health problem for all ages but most people start these habits as teenagers and some even younger. There is more than ample evidence to show that smoke (direct and indirect) and smokeless tobacco causes severe health problems including lung disease, cancer, heart disease, respiratory and ear infections. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy have been shown to have more premature and smaller babies and these babies are at higher risks of SIDS (crib death).

    Teenage girls are taking up smoking at an increasing rate every year and teenage boys are taking up smoking at a stable rate over the past few years. This, when all other age groups are actually decreasing in the number of people smoking. This is related to behavioral characteristics of teenagers: a) they have a need for self-identity, b) they have a sense of invincibility, c) they are seeking independence, d) they are curious, e) they are highly influenced by their peers, and f) they are impulsive. All these characteristics make them very susceptible to any marketing efforts. Advertising agencies know their markets and know their characteristics. There is no doubt in my mind that their efforts are aimed at these potential weaknesses.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics feels (and I agree) that tobacco advertising is aimed at children and teenagers in order to develop a customer base. Most teenagers who smoke state they don't plan to be smoking in 5 years but 90% still are in 5 years. This speaks strongly to the addictive nature of nicotine in particular. You only have to speak to smokers who are trying to quit to see the addictive problem with tobacco.

    Pediatricians and other health care providers throughout the country are working towards education of patients and especially children on the dangers of tobacco use. We also need to work on everything we can to eliminate influences that bring children and teenagers to tobacco use and make it very hard or impossible for them to obtain tobacco products.

    Our country has always believed in freedom of choice. But teenagers and children using tobacco is a public health issue and until they are mature enough to legally be adults and understand the addictive nature of tobacco and its potential short and long term risks, we as a society should do all we can to protect them.
    - Updated: March 22, 2001

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP